KARACHI, Nov 11: President General Pervez Musharraf’s decision not to lift emergency and suspend provisional constitution order for general elections exposed that the regime was aspiring for calculated results in the elections which could never be called free, fair and transparent.
Leaders of different political parties were unanimous in their views while commenting on the first press conference of General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday afternoon since the suspension of the constitution and imposition of emergency rule on Nov 3.
They said the rulers could not hoodwink the international community by holding such elections as now their designs – from usurping the fundamental rights of people, deposing judges and clamping martial law in the garb of emergency – were well exposed.
The leaders criticised the amendment made in the Army Act 1952 which empowered military courts to try civilians. They termed it a draconian law and said the purpose of the amendment was to overawe politicians and civil society from playing their due role in the struggle for restoration of fundamental rights, constitution and striving for free and fair elections.
PPP
Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmad Khuhro said how a caretaker set-up could function properly in the presence of the provisional constitution order and in a state of emergency.
The Pakistan People’s Party leader said no country would consider such elections free and fair in the absence of fundamental rights of people. In a country, where the judiciary was not free and independent judges were ousted how could be elections called free and fair, he observed.
Referring to the rallies and public meetings being held by leaders of ruling parties, he said the government was pursuing a double-standard policy as only those demanding restoration of constitution and democracy were being detained.
MMA
Free and fair elections could not be held in the country where people were deprived of their fundamental rights, said Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami and central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.
He said the military rulers had become a threat to the solidarity of the country. Their promises were hollow and commitments unreliable, he observed. He said the armed forces whose basic responsibility was to safeguard the borders had made the country a prison.
PML-N
The Sindh chapter’s acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Salim Zia, said the judiciary had been pushed to the wall and common man had lost hopes after the amendment in the Army Act 1952, which empowered army to arrest, interrogate and try civilians in military courts. He said anyone criticising the rulers could be tried in military courts now under the army act.
He said the situation called for joint meetings of political parties, particularly the mainstream, and formulate joint strategy to thwart the designs of usurpers.
He said, “If the rulers are bent upon to hold the elections as were being held in the past, such elections would severely harm the country.”
JUI-F
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader Qari Muhammad Usman said free and fair general elections under emergency rule were meaningless. He said the military ruler had gagged the voice of nation by allowing military courts to try civilians through an amendment in the army act.
Demanding reinstatement of all deposed judges, he asked the rulers to act in accordance to the aspiration of people by restoring the constitution and democracy.
ANP
The Sindh President of the Awami National Party, Shahi Syed, said no one could think of transparent elections in the presence of the provisional constitution order.
Holding of free and fair elections had lost its grounds when Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Illahi was allowed to address public gatherings and defame leaders of opposition parties, he said.
He said the regime was using state machinery to suppress the voice of dissent as the opponents were being implicated in cases which were likely to be tried in military courts under the amended army act.
Labour Party
Labour Party Pakistan leader Nasir Mansoor said the issue of vital importance since the imposition of emergency was reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary as the chief justice of Supreme Court and other judges.
He said the latest talk about free and fair elections was to hoodwink the international community and camouflage the real issue.
Neither democracy nor human rights could be restored without the reinstatement of the judges to the position of Nov 2, he observed.
NWP
The National Workers’ Party Secretary-General, Akhtar Hussain, said that without lifting emergency, withdrawal of PCO, restoration of fundamental rights and reinstatement of deposed judges, holding of elections would be nothing but a fraud.
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